Hot dog festival honors heroes and celebrates freedom
Hot dog festival honors heroes and celebrates freedom
By: Carin Enovijas
Description: Tehachapi's July 4 celebration was a great success
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Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 696 times
1 response 0 comments Tehachapi’s July 4 celebration got off to a running start, as 5K Bun Run participants raced towards City Park and the sweet aromas arose from Tehachapi High School Warrior’s Dog Chow pancake breakfast.
“The Warriors’ pancake breakfast was a big success. We made $1,100 and all the football players had a great time interacting with the community,” Tehachapi’s Mayor Ed Grimes said.
Early birds were treated to the musical sounds of the Fiddlers, accompanied by the off tempo tap-tap-tapping of aspiring young carpenters building their own bird houses under Tehachapi Lumber Company’s big red tent.
A photo display honoring Tehachapi’s Heroes served as a reminder of the sacrifices that have been made, making it possible for Americans to celebrate our nation’s freedom.
“It was a day of comfort, of relaxation and realization that things are the way they are because we have our soldiers out there protecting us,” Grimes said.“Being a veteran myself, it’s important that we not lose sight of the sacrifices our troops have made for our country.”
One of Tehachapi’s own active duty Marines, Gunnery Sgt. Noel Fritz, sent her sister Betty Quinones a flag that was flown over Fallujah, where the Marine is currently stationed. That same battle flag was raised by Tehachapi’s VFW Honor Guard after a welcoming address by Grimes.
Three of our local heroes were granted leave for the holiday before returning to active duty. Representing the U.S. Marines, Corporal David Lara, Corporal Daniel Pitocco and Lance Corporal Jason Sanford received a warm round of applause and handshakes of thanks for their service and sacrifice.
As Tehachapi resident Ashlee Zubeck finished the final note of the national anthem, a trio of Czechoslovakian fighter jets from Riverside’s March Air Force Base performed the first of several impressive fly-bys spaced throughout the day’s activities. The Flight Test Squad 416 from Edwards Air Force Base performed a flyover with two F-16’s opening the events held later in the evening at the Coy Burnet Football Stadium.
Crowds were also entertained by a martial arts demonstration by master Ivan Jadric and approximately 60 of his talented Tehachapi Martial Arts Center students. Demonstrations included Tai Kwon Do, Hapkido, Tai Chi and Kung Fu disciplines
The children’s parade arrived at City Park with a blaze of fire engine sirens. Prizes were awarded for four categories.
Additional children’s activities included an ostrich egg race, bounce houses and slides, a rock climbing wall and a watermelon eating contest.
Food booths offered alternatives to the festival’s historically honored hot dog, with selections including hamburgers and ostrich burgers, ice cream, cotton candy and Espresso on the Move’s popular coffee drinks and frozen treats.
According to Elisabeth Walter, Tehachapi Republican Women Federated’s event coordinator, more than 2,000 hot dogs were sold at the organization’s hot dog booth.
“You’d think we’d be sick of hot dogs, but it’s kind of like childbirth. By the time next year comes around, we’ll forget about all the hard work,” Walter said.
“We always have a lot of fun doing this event,” she said declaring the event a success.
Throughout the day, young and old enjoyed listening and dancing to music provided by Mento Buru and Porterhouse Bob and Down to the Bone.
“It was just a great day. I had the opportunity to walk around and just talk with people and welcome out-of-town visitors to Tehachapi,” Mayor Grimes said. “A lot of them came up here because they know we have a good thing here.”
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